Getting to know M. Bison

In the spirit of the Sasquatch! Music Festival Ear Candy is hosting a show Friday night at the High Dive in Fremont featuring six awesome local bands, because after all, the coolest part about Sasquatch! is its focus on local talent.

One of the bands on the bill for Ear Candy’s Sasquatch! Prefunk is M. Bison. Ear Candy zipped a few questions over to Jeff Grant, guitarist for M. Bison, and here are his responses:

We have one self-released EP, entitled “Not Bad!” which is exactly what it is – so long as you say “Not Bad!” with enthusiasm, not diffidence. As if you bit into your mom’s best chicken salad and said “Not Bad!” with mayonnaise dribbling down your face.

The original M. Bison

How did you settle on a band name?

Being that Brian and Jeff (the songwriters of the group) are the dorkiest dorks who ever dorked, they wanted a name that somehow reflected their common ground as musicians and good ol’ buddies. So what do they choose? A character from a video game they both played until their thumbs calloused – Street Fighter II Turbo. Nice one, dorks. Thus, M. Bison – the Thai general with electric hands who can also fly if you know the combo. Which Brian and Jeff do.

What’s the first record you remember buying?

In 1990 Jeff bought a tape of Guns N’ Roses “Appetite For Destruction” and 4 years later Brian bought his first CD, Green Day’s “Dookie.” These records still influence them to this day – Jeff avidly destroys and eats many things, and Brian has been known to take dookies, at an average of 0.8 a day.

What’s your favorite musical memory?

M. Bison played a house party in North Seattle last summer on a gorgeous fry-an-egg-on-the-sidewalk day, and just as they began to churn into the butter of their set (rock), some punks harshed their mellow (the cops) and told us to turn down. Who the hell doesn’t like out of tune guitars blaring through the neighborhood? Sissy Ninnies. M. Bison compromised by playing the rest of the set in oh-so-quiet samba mode, adapting all of their songs with that cha-cha feel, and only Brian’s dad was shaking his hips. And sheepishly, at that.

That was when we knew we had arrived.

Do you remember your band’s first gig?

MB’s first gig was at Chop Suey on a gloriously cold November night on Capitol Hill. They opened for Thunderbird Motel, and made fast friends with those crud-kickers right away. The band was nervous as hell, but converted that energy into sloppy exuberant rock, and it went over well – their moms loved it. Saundrah H. from Math and Physics Club told Jeff he looked like a frat-boy for wearing a crew sweatshirt on stage. He laughed it off, but as he told Brian many days later, that “Big Girls Wanna Have Fun” sweatshirt never fit the same way again.

What’s the worst gig M. Bison has played?

Brian and Jeff played a duet show at the High Dive in January. Why a duet show? B/c the other guys had to work, and Jeff had forgotten to tell them about the gig (managers feel free to contact us at Mbisonrocks@gmail.com!). Luckily, Jeff had a plan – why don’t I play guitar, and Brian can play my $100 costco drum set, and we’ll be the second coming of the White Stripes?

We hit the stage first that night, and started with our rock anthem “Ready To Party.” Andrew WK’s in talks with us to buy the rights! Anyway, half way into the song, the power of God compelled Brian to jump into the Costco drumkit he was playing, thus ending the song 1 minute early…and it’s only 2 minutes long.

Once the ravenous applause had died down, a dude at the back of the club shouted “GET OFF THE STAGE!!!!” and another gentleman declared “WORST BAND EVER!”

Jeff countered:

“So some guy just told us to get off the stage – well, the joke’s on you buddy, we’re rocking out for the next 40 minutes, so F*CK YOU!”

And seriously, worst band ever? Has he EVER heard U2?

What are some interesting facts about the band people might not know?

MB opened for Fleet Foxes at Whitman College this past Valentine’s Day, and they can take credit for introducing those guys to razor blades – they obviously didn’t hit it off.

Chris is in the Village theater orchestra and just got hisself a GIRRRRLFRIEND! She’s great.

Danny is from Colorado, so you know he’s crazy but at heart a down-to-earth sort.

Brian once ate 11 cheeseburgers at a McDonalds during a high school lunch break.

And Jeff once made a shot in a HS Basketball game that was Play of the Week on Sportcenter. Type in “Jeff Grant’s miracle shot” and you’ll find it. No kidding! He beat Vince Carter!